"Thank you very much dad" her eyes were sparkling while she was looking at the gift. In the meanwhile they both were made themselves comfortable in the chairs there.

"You liked it?" looking intently into the face of his daughter, Sudhakar asked her.

"It is gorgeous. I love it." Mounika really meant that.

"After I freed myself from that devil, I buy more and more things like these for you, Mounika. You just stay with me all the time." With a pleading expression in his face, he asked her.

"But mommy also is asking me to stay with her." Mounika said with a small voice.

"She is a devil and you also very well know about that. You just cannot stay peacefully with her. She has no love and affection on you. I love you and like you a lot. Please stay with me."

"Alright, dad. I do stay with you." Mounika said with a small voice. She did not know what else to say.

***

Three students sit on each bench in that class and on the Jasmine's bench Anupama was her left hand side bench-mate and Madhuri was her right hand side bench-mate. Anupama and Madhuri instantly became good friends to Jasmine. But it was surprising to Jasmine that Anupama sometimes would suddenly become moody thinking about something seriously.

"Why sometimes Anupama is becoming serious like that?" on that day when Anupma was not beside her, Jasmine asked Madhuri.

"About her brother, Ranjan." It seemed that Madhuri was well known about the predicament of Anupama.

"What happened to her brother? Is he is in some problem?" immediately frowns gathered on the forehead of Jasmine.

Madhuri laughed immediately. "He is in no problem. He is studying tenth class. He does not study good and everyday principal beats him black and blue. As his sister, she just cannot bear that he is beaten by our principal like that. Is there any surprise that our Anupama worrying like that for her brother?"

"No, of course." Jasmine nodded her head. Her heart cringed on hearing that.

As they both were talking like that, Anupama came and sat beside Jasmine again. It was a free period and no teacher was in the class. All the students were talking in themselves freely and some of them went out of the classroom also.

Suddenly then interval bell rang and all the students including Madhuri, except Jasmine and Anupama, went out of the classroom. As if she was looking for such an opportunity, Anupama covered her face with her hands and started weeping.

"Why are you weeping? What happened?" placing her hand on her shoulder, Jasmine asked her. Her heart cringed again as she could understand why she was weeping like that.

Anupama did not say anything but continued weeping like that.

"Did the principal beat your brother again?" with a small voice Jasmine asked Anupama.

Anupama perched her head up and looked into the face of Jasmine. "How did you know?"

"Madhuri told me." Jasmine felt fear seeing the serious expression on the face of Anupama. "I am sorry if you are feeling that I know about this."

"Whole school knows about this. There is no issue if you know about it." Anupama stopped weeping and sat straight. She wiped her face with the hand kerchief in her hand.

"When our principal learns that there would be no use in beating children? It is really a very bad practice beating children." Jasmine became angry.

"I cannot say only our principal is wrong in this case. My brother does not study anything. He spends all the time playing." Anupama hissed out heavily before continuing. "That principal's son Mukund is his friend. He too does not study anything. They both waste time always enjoying themselves."

"Does our principal beat his son also?" even she knew about it still Jasmine asked.

"No less, even more. He does not show any partiality in beating."

There was some silence. "Have you tried to persuade your brother to study?"

"My parents and I always try to make him study. He just would not listen to us." There was an instant angry expression on her face.

"Show your brother to me on one day. I will talk to him." Jasmine said.

"What?" Anupama startled on hearing that. Frowns gathered on her forehead. "He does not hear his own parents and sister but hears you?"

"There is no loss in trying. I talk to your brother. I decided to solve your problem." With firmness in her voice Jasmine said. "I cannot remain peaceful if my friends are worrying for anything."

There was an instant amused expression on the face of Anupama but seeing the serious expression on Jasmine's face she also became serious.

"Alright. I shall show my brother to you." She nodded her head.

***

While the mathematics teacher Vasudevan teaching mathematics, peon came there with a notice. After going through the notice Vasudevan said with a smile. "Now elections. You have to elect a class pupils' leader and school pupils' leader."

There were cheers among the students there. It was a change from the routine.

After the notice was signed by Vasudevan, peon promptly went out of the room taking that with him.

"Who among you are going to compete for class pupils' leader? And if any of you is interested to compete as school pupils' leader please let me know. Ninth class students are also eligible to compete for school pupils' leader. I need to send the names to the principal. Elections are going to be held on tomorrow itself."

After some more time the mathematics class was over. Once the teacher went out of the class, there was huge commotion. The students were very eagerly waiting for these elections.

One student Namita along with two of her friends came to Jasmine and said. "I am going to compete for CPL. I am thinking about this for a long time. Until now only boys are our class leaders. We have to change this. Please vote for me."

"Sure I do that. I will vote for you." Jasmine smiled and said.

At that time Anupama and Madhuri were not with her.

"It is not just enough. That Mounika and Ragini are your friends. Please persuade them also to vote for me. Madhuri and Anupama also listen to you."

"Alright, I do try." Jasmine nodded her head.

As soon as Namita left that place with her friends, Madhuri and Anupama came into their places. Then Ajay who was their classmate came there with his two friends.

"Have you made up your mind to vote for Namita?" looking into the face of Jasmine with a smile, Ajay asked.

"Yes...no...." Jasmine confused. She did not know what to say.

"Please don't fix like that. If I become the leader to this class, I shall be helpful to you people in all the ways possible. We must not have any discrimination like boys and girls when important events come like this."

"You are right." Jasmine nodded her head.

"Please vote for Ajay. He is really very daring and hard working. He shall be quite useful to us." One of his two friends who came with him said.

"Alright. I understood." Jasmine said.

After that they pleaded and persuaded with Madhuri and Anupama also in the same way, then left that place.

"Why these people are worrying this much to become CPL?" Jasmine asked Anupama.

"There would be some recognition. You too know about that, why you are asking?" Anupama said.

"How it was in your school? Ever you competed as a class leader?" Madhuri asked.

"In the same way like here I think. No, I never competed as a class leader. My parents do not like it that much. They want me always concentrate on my studies."

"These elections in schools are a nonsense affair. There is no problem if we don't have leaders." Anupama said.

"Why, it helps us acquaint with the procedure in electing leaders to our country and state." Madhuri said.

"But the students who compete for these elections take it a little more. The elections create grudge in those who got defeat to those who are elected. The ones who are elected don't have time as we have to study." Anupama paused for a moment before continuing. "Last year my brother competed as school pupils' leader but he could not win. He became so much frustrated and angrier."

"Yes there are such problems." Jasmine said.

"I agree with you both no less." Madhuri said.

"The problem is" Anupama said "He wishes to compete for SPL on this year also. He will meet with the same fate like last year, I can say."

Madhuri and Jasmine did not know what to say then.

***

"I am Ranjan." Ranjan came along with Mukund to Jasmine. "You are the friend of my sister Anupama. I think you are a friend of most of your classmates."

"Anyhow I am not an enemy to any of the classmates. What do you want?" Jasmine smiled and said. But by that time she understood why they both came to her then.

"I am competing as a SPL. Please vote for me." Ranjan said with a pleading expression in his face.

"Not just you, you may please persuade your other friends also to vote for Ranjan. He is a really very capable boy." Mukund said.

"In fact I want to talk with you Ranjan. I do want to have a little chit-chat with you."Jasmine said as if she did not hear what Ranjan said.

"What it is?" instantly there was a surprising expression on his face.

"Anupama is feeling very sad that you are beaten by principal everyday like that. Why cannot you study properly and escape from that beating so.?" Jasmine said straightly.

Ranjan's face became red with anger. "You have no right to talk with me like this." he said

"But Anupama is a very good friend to me and I just cannot see her worrying like that. Even she is just a friend to me, I cannot bear seeing her worrying like that. You are her own brother! How can you remain calm while she is worrying for you like that?"

"I did not ask her to worry for me in such a way." Ranjan was still angry.

"You need not ask her. No brother need to ask his own sister to worry for him. It is just natural. Being her brother you also have to feel in the same way." Without flinching a little, looking into his face, Jasmine said.

"Worrying means what she is doing?"

"Just weeping. You may not believe but she is weeping covering her face with her hands whenever you have been beaten by the principal so."

(..........to be continued)

(I hope you enjoyedit so far. Please don't forget to rate and review it. I update the next chapteras early as possible.)